Never Again
by z0mb3xor
Summary: Ben's alive. He never fell from those rooftops back in Savanah. But once he makes a promise to Lee to keep Clementine safe that isn't the only promise he makes. He promises himself that never again will he screw up that badly. Never again.
1. Promises

**Hello and welcome back to another altered season writing. After such great feedback from my first I thought I'd have another crack at it. This is much different from season two. I just love this sort of thing. I love all of the 'what ifs' in a story. So this time round it's 'what if Ben lived? And 'What if Carver never came after the group?' I will start from on the rooftops back in season one. I never liked Ben after he admitted he traded with the bandits but when he had his go at Kenny I felt absolutely terrible. After that I kind of liked him and felt sorry for him. ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!**

**No P.O.V**

Ben breathed suddenly as he looked down at the alley below. He heard the balcony creak under his weight which frightened the poor kid. It made a loud snapping sound so Ben made a leap. It tumbled just as he grabbed onto the edge of the building. Lee offered his hand down to him which he took. Lee lifted him up and whistled.

"That was a bit of a close one Ben." Lee turned to continue their journey as Ben looked at the depth below. What if he'd fallen down there? What if they came down to help him? Ben shook the thoughts from his head and walked silently behind them. They crossed a long wooden platform spread across two rooves. They crossed carefully and mad it to the other side.

"I think we're…" Kenny wasn't looking and bumped into Lee, knocking the walkie into the dark building. Kenny cursed and apologised quickly. "Lee I didn't mean to." Lee nodded and rubbed his stump in pain. They probably needed that walkie talkie so Ben made an offer.

"I could jump if you…" Ben was cut off when Christa leapt down into the building and scooped it up.

"I've got it now help me up." They searched the area and Lee found a pipe. He lowered it and Christa took it, urging him to go faster.

"Why are we getting the one armed man to lift her out?" Ben asked. Lee ignored his comment but actually agreed after he accidently let go. Everyone panicked as the pipe made a loud clang. Christa got up as everyone heard them moaning. They couldn't reach her when Kenny cursed.

"Me and my fucking mouth." He jumped down and hoisted Christa up so they could grab her wrists. "Don't worry about me I'll be fine." He urged. Ben reached down to grab his hand but he shook his head. "Not this time shitbird. This time, you win." Kenny fired a few shots as they came from the darkness. Kenny ran when he cried out. Another shot was heard and it was only moaning. Lee kneeled and let a tear roll down his face. Ben sat back and could not believe it. He really thought Kenny would last longer than him.

They came across a larger sign spreading across a street. After a short discussion Lee went on ahead. The sign creaked but was otherwise stable. He slowly made his way across until he made it safely to the other side.

"I'll go next." Ben offered. He inched his way across feeling slightly more confident seeing Lee made it safely. Lee was much heavier than him. His heart went to his throat when the sign began to snap. "Fuck I'm cursed!" He went faster and barely made it, being saved by Lee's hand grabbing his. He pulled him to where Lee stood and he called to the others.

"Fuck it we're going for it! Meet us back at the train ok?" He heard Omid say something about being crazy but he ignored him. "Ben, I want you to lag behind a little. No point in dieing now." He nodded slowly as they climbed down from where they were to the street below, making their way to the Marsh house.

Lee offered Ben his hatchet while Lee himself pulled out a cleaver. He marched forth and chopped the first walker in his way. Ben didn't want to be left behind so he tried to stay close. He hacked at a few and ended up soon covered in a lot of blood and bits. He would definitely have a shower after this. They made it the front unscratched. Lee glanced to his side and caught a glimpse of the station wagon.

"Oh Christ it can't be. There's no way." Ben took a step back remembering that wagon. The same one they stole from not that long ago. Lee went forth and entered The Marsh House. Ben followed close behind as they searched for the right room. When Lee did he simply strolled in, forgetting Ben was in a different room. He heard the stranger pull out his gun and smile.

"Hello Lee."

**Ben**

I didn't find anything in my room so I went to search the next. I heard murmuring in the room Lee had entered. I peeked in to find Lee and a stranger sitting in chairs. The stranger had his back to me while Lee noticed my sudden arrival. He tried to hide it as I crept slowly closer to the man. He was rambling on until I brought the hatchet straight down onto his shoulder, cutting his right ear a little. He cried out and Lee leapt onto the man he began to beat him while he was down. Then the stranger knocked Lee off as they switched positions. I ran forth and kicked the stranger in the side.

"Leave him alone asshole!" I yelled at him. He fell off of Lee and clutched his side. I kicked him again in the ribs and Lee picked up the strangers gun. He shot him dead before he could even blink. I jumped at the gunshot and looked at the dead man. I breathed a sigh of relief and ran over to the closet to let Clementine out. She came out and hugged me but jumped back suddenly.

"Ewwww. What happened to you Ben?" I chuckled lightly and she hugged me again. She saw Lee and ran over to him, noticing the missing arm. "What happened to your arm Lee?" Lee looked away suddenly and opened the door. A walker stood before him and Lee froze I went to help when the oddest thing happened. The walker ignored him. I noticed Clementine and made a move for her when Lee threw it to the ground, shooting it several times. "Why didn't it bite you Lee?"

"It must be all the stuff on him. He smells dead to me." I suggested giving a sniff to my own shirt. Lee smiled and cut it open suddenly. He grabbed some and I knew what was coming next.

**The jewellery store**

"Lee! Lee get up!" I urged. Clementine cried as Lee failed to stand. He collapsed back in the street and we dragged him in here to be safe. He fell back onto the floor and coughed violently.

"I'm sorry sweet pea, I'm bit." She shook her head and cried harder. Even I had begun to let my tears roll slowly. "We tried to cut it off but…" He breathed sharply and lay back against the cold wall. He groaned and continued. "I guess it didn't work so well." He slowly raised his eyes up to me. "Take care of my girl Ben. Clementine, stay away from cities, they're too dangerous. And also…" He slowly closed his eyes. I thought that was it until he struggled to open them once more. "Clementine… I love you." He touched her cheek and smiled. "You gave me reason to live once more."

"I love you too Lee." She whimpered. Lee nodded and slowly dropped his hand from her face. She stood up slowly and grabbed the pistol I'd stolen from a security walker I found inside. She took a deep breath and aimed. "I'm so sorry Lee." She pulled the trigger which followed with a loud bang.

**Sometime later**

I got up and approached the gas station cautiously. It seemed alright. I waved the others over showing it was safe. Christa and Omid came out from the bushes with Clementine in tow. I checked around the sides to make sure no walkers came round. The sides were clear when I heard Omid ask me.

"Ben, you have to agree with me here. Call the baby Omid Jr if it's a boy and Christa Jr if it's a girl." Christa nudged his shoulder and grinned. I smiled too but actually decided to come up with an answer.

"How about David or Jennifer?" I proposed to the couple. They actually looked to agree with the idea.

"Those are actually good names. So either Jennifer or Omid Jr then?" Christa rolled her eyes and Clementine giggled. I sighed and leant up against the wall. I never liked guns but after everyone was basically dead I needed to learn. Christa taught me how to effectively use a rifle. Apparently her father used to shoot stray cats with a pellet gun so Christa learnt a degree of skill. I guess it could be somewhat transferable. I looked over at Clementine who was quite dirty today.

"Hey Clementine, why don't you go clean yourself up in the restroom. I can stand guard if you want." She nodded and I opened the door letting her go in first. I came in after her. I knew how Clementine felt about being left alone, even if you're just outside. After Lee she said she never wanted to be alone again. She put her bag on top of the sink as I checked the stalls for any unwanted guests. They were all clear so I placed my rifle next to one of the basins. Clementine poured water onto the rag and began to wipe her face when she paused.

"Could you do it Ben? This mirror is too smudgy to see properly." I nodded and grabbed the damp rag, wiping her face clean. When I finished Clementine accidentally knocked her water bottle onto the ground. "Oh shit." She muttered.

"Swear." I joked, nudging her gently. "I'll fetch it." I went into the stall with Clementine behind me. I picked it up when I heard something, my rifle being picked up. I heard Clementine gasp so I whipped out of the stall to find a woman holding my rifle in her hands.

"Well now look what we have here. Brother and sister I presume." Clementine held her hands in the air as I too surrendered. She spotted Clementine's pack and scoffed. "This all you have? That's bullshit. Where's the rest?" I started to feel rather nervous now.

"I'm telling you that's all we have." She saw I wasn't lying and chuckled. The rest of the stuff was with Omid and Christa so I wasn't lying. She rummaged through quickly when I noticed Clementine still had her pistol. I nudged her and made my hand into a pistol. She saw this and got the idea. She went to make a reach for it when the girl stopped hunting.

"Well you got a bunch of shit here. None of it useful." She went looking deeper when I saw Omid sneaking up behind her. I prayed he would stop her effectively. He approached slowly from behind and I could see Clementine also reaching for her pistol. The girl noticed neither until she heard the door close. She spun around when a gunshot was fired. I closed my eyes but eased them open. She looked shocked and dropped the rifle. She clutched her chest and turned back to Clementine. Christa ran in as the woman collapsed. Clementine threw the gun down and I held her tightly. Omid was fine but he was very shaken.

"Shh it's ok Clementine; you did what you had to. If you didn't Omid might be dead." I hugged her tighter as she began to cry. No girl should go through that but this was the apocalypse. It wasn't much of a choice anymore.

**Sixteen months later**

We had gathered around the camp fire trying to cook a weasel. I think it was a weasel it was hard to tell. Omid tried to keep the fire going when we heard Jennifer squeak. It was feeding time so Christa slowly pulled the bottle from her bag. She placed the bottle between the child's lips as he drank eagerly. Clementine grabbed the portrait of Lee from her bag and stared at it. She deeply missed Lee and so did I. Him and Clementine were the only ones who argued against kicking me out on my first arrival. Even after Lee learnt about the trading her still defended me. She sighed and placed it onto her heart. I could just see the drawing of Kenny's family which brought heavy guilt into my heart.

"Fuck we need more wood. Ben, Clementine, could you fetch some more wood please?" Christa pleaded. I groaned but knew better to protest against her. I didn't mind it's just that I just got comfortable on my dead log. Clementine got to her feet and put her bag on. She would never go anywhere without it. We trudged off into the woods in search of some good wood. I found at least two good, dry logs and shoved them into my pack.

"How are you doing Clem?" I asked. She just shrugged and I knew that was the best I would get. Suddenly I heard a guns safety click off as I turned slowly to the man. He held a large silver looking pistol and aimed it towards me.

"I want whatever's in that pack boy." He sneered. He obviously didn't know it was just two logs. I took off my pack regardless and opened it up. He spat and swore at me for trickery. Before I knew what was happening, a man ran up behind him and shoved an axe like machete into his skull. I think I remember Kenny mentioning its name being something to do with alligators.

"Now come on Nathan, is that any way to treat someone?" He grinned. He shoved Nathan to the floor and looked to us. "If you have more people they're in…" I heard Christa scream and a baby cry loudly. There were two shots and the babies cries got louder. We all ran to the camp site but when we arrived, they had run off. Nobody was there but there was a blood stain on a tree. The baby sounded distant so I ran off in the direction. Clementine screamed so I turned and found a man had knocked the other stranger unconscious and was now chasing poor Clementine. I sprinted full speed after him, grabbing my rifle leaning against a large rock at the camp.

"Ben! Help me!" I heard Clementine scream out to me. I caught up with the man and Clementine at a riverside. I aimed my rifle when a walker grabbed my right arm, very nearly shoving his teeth into my arm. I fired but missed the man, hitting a rock beside him. He made a grab for Clementine as I wrestled with the walker. I managed to grab a pocket knife from my belt clip and shoved it into the back of its head. I shoved him off me and found Clementine had lured the man to some nearby walkers. He was being devoured as Clementine backed to the river edge.

"Clem! Watch out!" She slipped into the river and screamed. I jumped in after her determined to uphold my promise to Lee.

"_Take care of my girl Ben."_

The cold river water swept me away, but towards the panicked child.

**Part one end. We will now journey onwards to when they get washed up onto a shore. In game I never actually defended Ben when we voted whether he stay or go but I wanted Lee and Ben to have a better relationship in this story. So yeah I hope you enjoy and he won't be the only familiar face to return. Also, I will dramatically change the storyline. Since Carver is not after the cabin survivors so they are going to be slightly less hostile to them.**


	2. Cabin In The Woods

**Well Clementine and Ben have been thrown about in the freezing river until Clementine ends up on shore. Let's just get straight to the point.**

**Clementine**

I felt very cold and damp laying there on the shore. I coughed violently and even coughed up some water and sand. I felt weak and my arms were like jelly. I struggled to open my eyes and get up. When I managed I coughed again and looked around me. I saw footprints that were larger than mine that looked to go up and down the shoreline. My throat felt sore but I called out regardless.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Ben?" I rubbed my throat as I spoke. I groaned and grabbed a bottle of water from my pack and took a large swig. I heard some footsteps and made a grab for my gun. I always had two guns on me. Mine and Lee's gun. Well it was technically Carley's gun. I grabbed my own and aimed where I thought the footsteps approached.

**Ben**

As I stepped around the corner I saw Clementine aiming her gun in my direction. I put my hands in the air and panicked slightly, noticing the sun was in her eyes.

"Clementine it's ok. It's Ben." She squinted and lowered the gun slowly. I crouched by her and hugged her gently. "I was just checking the nearby area. I was only gone for twenty seconds." She hesitantly let me go as I stood upright. I could only see one way up so I grabbed Clementine and brought her over to the steps. They were barely intact so I went real slowly. When I reached the top Clementine squirmed from my arms and stood mostly fine. She wobbled a little but didn't collapse.

"Where are we?" She asked, looking at the forest ahead of her. I simply shrugged and slowly made my way into the forest. She sighed and followed. "I guess there's nowhere else to head." We began trekking through the forest with no idea where we were headed.

**Campsite**

Sam sniffed around and tipped over a few cans looking for food. Clementine left from the walker tied to the tree I just killed. I had a look through some boxes in a van as Clementine looked though a dumpster.

"Aha! Found something!" Clementine held up the can of beans and Sam barked at her. I put down the Barbie doll I had found and made my way over to Clementine. She had begun to open up the can of beans but looked concerned.

"What's the matter Clem?" She opened the can of beans and looked at the dog, then up at me. She sighed and put the beans next to her.

"We have one can for two of us and a dog if we…" Sam interrupted her by knocking the beans over and going to eat them. "Sam don't! That's too much!" She reached down to grab the beans but Sam growled and leapt at her. She screamed and I grabbed a knife from my pocket. The dog tore at her arm but I stabbed its shoulder. It yelped and grabbed my leg. I fell over, dropping my knife. I grabbed a nearby rock and smashed it into the side of the dog's head. It fell over and tried to stand again. It swayed from side to side before falling over.

"Clem are you ok?" She was crying silently and clinging her arm tightly. I shushed her and hugged her tightly. I picked her up and limped away from the dog. I didn't know if I'd killed it or knocked it out but I didn't care. At least it didn't get its teeth into my leg. It didn't have a proper grip. It still hurt like shit though. I limped through the woods not knowing where we were headed. "Don't worry Clementine I'll protect you."

"Thank you Ben." She hugged me tight while I just kept walking. Clementine yelped when I suddenly dropped her. I had a walker grab me from behind as I fell. I almost landed on top of Clementine. Just before it sunk its teeth into my back it fell over dead. I shoved it off and saw two men approaching from the woods. The walker had a large arrow in its head while many more advanced on our position.

"Just grab the girl and run man!" The younger one called to me. I picked up Clementine and ran towards the men. Once I reached them they turned and ran ahead. I checked on Clementine quickly and she seemed alright. Other than going a little pale and the bite on her arm. "Holy shit dude drop her!"

"What? No way dude why?" I looked back at Clementine and assumed he'd seen the dog bite. I held her closer and shook my head. "No way that was a dog." He scoffed and the older man approached me.

"Don't lie to me son. Was it a dog?" He stared into my eyes which unnerved me. I took a deep breath and nodded. "Use words kid."

"Yes. I'm eighteen so not a kid." I countered. The older man nodded to his companion who sighed in relief.

"The name's Pete and he's Luke. I know you're telling the truth because nobody can lie to me. That's why I always beat him at poker."

"Not all the time." Luke retaliated. Pete chuckled and Clementine groaned. "We have someone who might be able to help. Come with us." I nodded slowly unsure what to think of the men who just saved me. We began our walk to… wherever we were headed.

**The cabin**

I saw a cabin and kind of just assumed that was what they spoke of. There was a man out front who called to whoever was inside. He approached with a rifle in his hands. Three other people came out of the cabin and I could see on a second story window there was a child. Luke had a quick talk with the others out of my earshot. I came closer and a large black man turned to me.

"Hey there you two. She doesn't look too well. Name's Alvin. That's Luke's friend Nick, our doctor Carlos, his daughter inside is Sarah, and this is my wife Rebecca." Rebecca was undoubtedly pregnant. They all said their little hellos and stared at me. I guess they wanted me to tell them our names.

"Well my name's Ben and this here is Clementine. She was bitten by a dog when it was denied our food." Carlos approached slowly and I placed her down gently. Carlos crouched down to inspect the bite. After a while he hissed.

"It looks quite bad but with nothing some peroxide and a little switching and bandaging won't fix." He lifted the unconscious girl and carried her inside. Alvin, Nick and Rebecca followed them while Pete and Luke turned to me.

"Don't worry the doc is great at what he does. Do you have a group you were with?" They got their answer when I simply looked down at the ground. "It's cool you don't need to say anything if you don't wanna." I don't know why but I blurted out some information.

"She saw her parents wandering around as walkers and finds out literally two minutes later that her best friend in the world is going to die. It was hard on her but she made sure he didn't turn. I promised him I would take care of her with my life." They nodded slowly and brought me inside. I heard Clementine cry out and went to see what's wrong but Pete grabbed my arm.

"It's ok son, just the peroxide. That shit stings worse than anything but cleans a wound better than anything. She's fine." I looked up at the closed bedroom door and prayed she would be alright.

**Later at night**

I had kind of crashed on their couch but I couldn't sleep. Clementine was still up in Carlos's room. He assured me she was ok but I was unsure about that. Luke, Nick and Pete were in the kitchen playing poker and offered I join them. I initially refused but I'm starting to consider it. I lay back on the couch when I heard a small voice.

"Ben?" I shot up thinking it was Clementine. I turned but only found it was Carlos's daughter Sarah. She flinched at my sudden movement but approached again. "Your name is Ben right? I heard my dad say your name." I nodded slowly and she sat down next to me. "It's ok, Clementine will be alright. She's just a little sick. But not like those things outside sick just ordinary sick."

"So you're Sarah then. You look about sixteen I think. When did your dad teach you how to shoot?" She gasped and shook her head suddenly. She covered her mouth and looked behind her to check if her dad was there. She didn't see anyone so whispered to me.

"My dad doesn't let me touch guns. They're too dangerous. Also, I'm fifteen." She got up suddenly and bumped into her dad. She cried out in shock as her father looked at her then me.

"What have you said to my daughter?" I felt a sudden nervousness. I rubbed the back of my neck and explained as not to anger the man.

"I kind of just asked her when she learnt to shoot. I didn't realise…" I trailed off hoping her father wouldn't get mad at me. He looked to Sarah and whispered something to her. Sarah nodded and went back upstairs. Carlos turned to me.

"There are some things you need to know about my daughter while you're here. She's not like your Clementine. She doesn't know what it's like out there. I have sheltered her too much. If she found out she would… cease to function. Please if you do talk to her, which I urge you not to, be careful what you say ok?" I nodded not wanting to anger him. He thanked me and headed back upstairs. Probably to check on his daughter or Clementine. I groaned and rubbed my eyes, finally feeling sleepy. I lay back against the couch and closed my eyes.

**The next morning**

I woke up and rubbed my eyes. I opened them and remembered where I was. I had a look around the cabin. It seemed quiet. I felt a sudden movement under my arm and found Clementine nuzzling beneath. I smiled and tried to ease myself off the couch without awakening her. I succeeded and made my way to the kitchen. I found Nick face down on a pile of cards and a Luke snoring next to him. Pete was nowhere to be seen. I check out the window and found him carrying a cooler towards the door. He opened the door and plunked it onto the table. Nick and Luke shot upwards and scowled at Pete. I just smiled but remembered Clementine sleeping in the next room. She came in rubbing her eyes.

"What's going on?" She asked trying to focus her eyes. Pete chuckled as the men kept grumbling.

"I'm taking Nick fishing with me. Want to tag along." Clementine grinned and nodded eagerly. Pete looked up to me for my approval. I was fine so just shrugged. Clementine thanked me and went over to Pete and Nick, who had gathered at the door. She waved goodbye and I waved back and shut the door.

"You're a bit trusting of us aren't you?" Luke smirked. Well they did just save Clementine's life, including mine. They even let us stay. I smirked back.

"Well you did let us in too. We could be here to take everything you own." Luke laughed and leaned in.

"Well good luck with that when you didn't even have any weapons, an injured child and almost being eaten yourself. I sincerely doubt you are." We both shared a short laugh until I heard a stomp upstairs.

"Some people still like sleeping in." Alvin called down. We both kept quiet and I decided to go outside and just have a little walk. I went round the side of the house and suddenly heard something. I instinctively turned to the woods but soon found the sound coming from beneath the house. I quickly headed back inside and found Carlos coming downstairs.

"What's wrong Ben? You look uneasy." I approached the doctor and whispered.

"I heard something underneath the house. I saw a shadow as well, it was human." Carlos rubbed his chin.

"Are you…" He was cut off when we heard something bump the floor beneath us. Carlos pulled out his gun and headed outside. I followed him and we went to a place where patchwork had been done to the foundation. The board was pulled away so Carlos grabbed a torch from his pocket. He aimed it inside and we heard a gasp. "Sarah!"

"I'm sorry dad but usually I find some cool stuff under here and…" She whimpered and crawled out of the hole. Her father pointed towards the front of the house and Sarah obliged. I felt bad for her but I knew the kind of father Carlos was. He just wanted her to be safe.

**Later that day**

I found Luke sitting on a chair outside. I sat beside him and we just sat in silence, watching the path that the others left on.

"Is it always this long?" I asked Luke. He turned to me and smiled.

"Don't worry Ben. The fishing really depends on how many fish they get. The latest they arrive back is around first darkness." We continued to watch the sun set and watched as the moon slowly hovered up. That was when Luke suddenly stood bolt upright. "They have never been this late. We search at first…" He was cut off when we saw Clemntine coming down the path. HE sighed in relief until we noticed she was alone.

"Where are the other two?" I asked. Clementine caught her breath. She must have been running. She eventually stood upright and looked Luke in the eyes.

"Walkers attacked on the way back. We all got stuck in some shed but I managed to slip away with Nick's distraction. I don't know if they're ok." Luke ran back inside and I held Clementine close to me.

"It's ok it's not your fault."

**What has happened to Nick and Pete? Are they ok? You will have to wait and see. Let's just hope they're ok. Since Carver doesn't come after them there will be obviously some fate changes. Also, they then obviously don't go to the ski lodge and meet Kenny. Sorry but he might not even meet them in this story. It's just a maybe at this time.**


	3. Keeping Your Cooler

**Well Clementine returns without Pete or Nick. Suspicious huh? Well not really. There is a high likelihood that Pete is still alive for two factors. A: Clementine never mentioned him dying and B: Since Carver didn't come after the cabin group that means no dead massacre. No dead massacre means no sneaky walker across river to bite Pete. So hooray for that.**

Clementine kind of shoved me off and looked up at me almost angry.

"Of course it's not my fault. I'm not a child anymore Ben." I took a step back from the child but she sniffed. "Doesn't mean I still can't get scared." She hugged me again and I let a small smile spread across my lips. Luke and Alvin came outside with flashlights.

"You can't really hope to find them at this time." Then again I didn't really know this group or what they'd do for each other. Luke ignored me and went off with Alvin. They stopped when Clementine asked them to wait. She rushed forth and pulled out her pistol.

"I know exactly where they last were so I could take you to them." Luke looked over to me for my approval so I just shrugged. I knew Luke and Alvin both cared a lot for Clementine so I felt it would be fine.

"Alright kiddo. Show us the way." As they walked off I saw Rebecca stand beside me and whisper something to Alvin. Probably something like 'I love you'. I went back inside where Carlos was leaning back on the couch. There was an unfinished game of chess in front of him.

"I'm guessing you and Alvin got interrupted huh?" Carlos looked at me but never moved his head in my direction.

"So what's your plan? If you're going to be here then I need to know if I can trust you." He sat upright and crossed his arms. I thought about it. Were we going to stay here? I mean it seemed alright but what about Omid, Christa and Jennifer. I kind of just shrugged.

"Well I have kept the promise to avoid talking to your daughter haven't I?"

"Well there is that I guess." He leant back once more and fell asleep. I approached and waved my hand in front of his eyes. I even snapped my fingers. Hell he sure slept quite fast. I went into the kitchen when someone burst in.

"Pete? Where's Nick? Luke, Alvin and Clementine are looking for you right now." Pete held up his hand and tried to catch his breath. He slowly stood straight and rubbed his back.

"Nick's fine in some shed we were at. I think. I tried to get out along with Clementine but she didn't notice I tried to catch up to her. I got lost but eventually found my way back." I handed him a glass of water which he graciously accepted.

"You might want to give the others this information." He nodded in agreement. I just went back to what I originally came in here to do. I needed some food, badly. I grabbed a small bowl and poured the can of beans inside. I moaned as I remembered the last can of beans Clementine and I had. That fucking dog. I still hope it was ok though. It was just a dog after all.

**Midnight**

I never took a nap. I was waiting for the others to get back. Carlos still slept on his spot on the couch, Rebecca sat with me out front, Pete fell asleep in his room and Sarah was probably sleeping or reading her book.

"So got any names for it? I have a few because not that long ago I had to name another baby." I smiled remembering little Jennifer. She actually was quiet as far as babies go. Rebecca rubbed her stomach and grinned.

"Alvin was thinking of little Alvin but one's enough." She giggled but noticed I suddenly went quiet. She looked over and grabbed my shoulder. "What's the matter Ben?" I let a tear roll down my face.

"You two remind me of the people I was just with. A man named Omid kept insisting they call their child little Omid. But his wife Christa literally said one's enough." I shook my head and chuckled lightly. Rebecca nodded and sat back. "Wait? What's that?" We both leant forth, Rebecca not sure what I'd seen. "Somebodies coming and they're human. Their walk is not like your usual walker." I grabbed a rifle and aimed it just in case. "Who's there?"

"Calm down asshole. Nice to see you're alive." That voice. I knew that voice. It was highly sarcastic but I knew who she was. I lowered my rifle a little. Rebecca had started to calm a little.

"Are you here to claim what you thought was yours?" She came out of the darkness smiling. "Come on Molly what do you want? You said you were a loner anyway." She raised her hands slowly.

"Hilda and I just want somewhere warm to crash. We've been wandering around these woods for too long. After you guys came to Savannah I began to notice how useless it was to wait around hoping to survive. So I left and have been stopping around at whatever place I can find." Rebecca began to scan to immediate area. She scratched her head and leaned into me.

"Who's Hilda? I don't see anyone else."

"Oh, Hilda is her ice axe. Don't judge her she's just lonely." Molly came forth and shook my hand. I shook back and Rebecca just eyed her suspiciously.

"So where's the others. Like Lee, Clem and Kenny. Did he try to kill you once he learnt what you did?" Rebecca now eyed me with suspicion. I sighed and asked her to wait. I went inside and nudged Carlos. He didn't awaken so I nudged him harder. He stirred and flicked his eyes open.

"Yeah somebody just arrived. It's cool though I met them before. I just thought it should be your call though." Carlos groaned and rubbed his eyes. He got up and stretched his body before heading outside. I heard Molly talking to Rebecca about something. When I came outside Rebecca scowled at me.

"When were you planning on telling us about this? Tell Carlos what you told me Molly." Oh shit. I know what Molly just told her now. Molly looked guiltily at me and whispered an apology.

"I'm sorry Ben I thought you told them. Look, it was over two years ago so why does it…" Rebecca glared and Molly groaned. "Fine, I'll tell him. Ben… traded with some bandits a while back. It ended up getting some guys wife and son killed. But I'm telling you, he's different. I mean, those bandits told him they'd leave them alone and that they would release his friend. Turns out they never had his friend." She looked away so Carlos turned to me.

"Is this true Ben? I want the truth Ben." Carlos stared into my eyes. Damn I knew there was no way out. That was until I heard Clementine.

"Molly!" She ran forth and latched onto the older woman. She was quite surprised by the girl and almost fell over but she managed to steady herself in time. The others came back with Nick lagging behind. He looked drunk. "What's going on here?" Clementine looked around at Carlos and Rebecca noticing they were rather angered.

"Clementine, Ben traded with some bandits awhile back. It got someone's wife and son killed." Clementine didn't even flinch at the news. That's because nobody else knew she was with us at the time that happened.

"I know he did but he's changed. He's not making those mistakes anymore. Besides, if they had Sarah or Alvin wouldn't you do the same?" Thank god Clementine just saved my ass. Carlos and Rebecca both took note of what she'd just said.

"Well, I can't really argue with that one. Sorry for the shit Ben." Rebecca looked rather ashamed but I accepted her apology nonetheless. We made our way inside the cabin once more.

"So what happened to my cooler Nick?" Nick groaned while Pete waited for his response.

**Early the next morning**

I awoke on that god forsaken couch. I hated it but I had nowhere else to sleep. Only Molly and I had to sleep on the couch. Clementine had access to Sarah's bed. I was just glad she kind of had a friend her age. I yawned and stretched my legs. I heard something going on in the kitchen so I went in to have a look. I found Nick pacing around trying to figure something out.

"What's the matter Nick?" He jumped in surprise but calmed down when he noticed it was me. He took off his hat and ran his hands through his hair.

"I need to get that cooler back for Pete. He hates it when I lose his shit." He sighed and sat down, burying his head into his hands. I felt sorry for him and came up with an idea.

"Dude, I can help not only with getting that cooler back, I could get you another one." Nick shot his head up with the largest grin on his face.

"You'd do that for me?" I nodded and he punched the air. We snuck out the back door and he took me to where he last had the cooler.

**Some shed in the woods.**

"It was right about there. Wait? There it is!" We jogged over to where he had apparently dropped the cooler. When we arrived we saw all the fish inside still seemed ok. Nick heaved it up and we had begun our walk back to the cabin. That was when I suddenly veered off path. "Dude, where are you going?" He placed the cooler onto the ground but I called to him.

"Just give me at least ten minutes I know what I'm doing." I ran off trying my best to remember where exactly that campsite was.

**Nick**

Stupid bloody kid. I'm not sure I want to hang around here for about ten minutes. I guess I had to though. I sat down on top of the cooler and scanned the area around me. It seemed clear so I slowly relaxed. I took a deep breath and savoured the peace. No fuckers telling me what to do now. I had never really taken the time to just admire what was around me. Mostly because my dad was an asshole who never took me out for something nice.

"I don't care you're dead." I mumbled to the air. It was true I never cared when my father died. My mother only felt sad for a short while. I just can't believe that the asshole had to go for my mother first. Of all the people he went for her. I took another check around me to make sure that the kid wasn't around. When it looked clear I let my tears slowly roll down my face. I missed my mother so badly. That was when I felt a lick on my hand. Wait? A lick?

"Who the fuck?" I shot up and grabbed my rifle. I was relieved to find it was just a dog. It looked at me funny and made a bark. It had a droopy eyelid and one of its legs looked messed up. It looked like it'd gotten into a fight, and recently. It cocked its head to the side and began to walk down the path. "Hey wait up dog." I picked up the cooler and followed the dog. I only remembered Ben after I got back to the cabin.

**Ben**

I stumbled out of the woods with the cooler in my hands. I had emptied it out so it seemed alright now. I looked up and down the path but I couldn't see Nick anywhere. I saw a slight indentation of where he'd placed the cooler down so I was on the right spot. I looked closer and found footsteps in the dirt. Asshole. Leave me out here. I grumbled and made my way back to the cabin.

"Get it the fuck out of here!" Clementine screamed as I neared the cabin. I dropped the cooler and ran forth to find what this was about. "I don't care just get rid of it!" I burst through the door and saw that bloody thing sitting on the kitchen floor. I felt anger boil into my and went for my knife. I headed straight for the dog.

"Whoa Ben calm the fuck down. What is it with you two and this…?" Nick suddenly connected the dots and shook his head. "It was fucking hungry what did you think would happen." Everyone suddenly gathered outside the kitchen.

"What the heck is happening here?" Luke demanded. I put my knife away quickly and Clementine never took her eyes off the dog.

"They're all pissy at this dog because it's the same dog that attacked Clementine in the woods." Nick responded. He seemed rather eager to defend this dog.

"I'm not sure we can…"

"Shut up Luke I don't care."

"I don't think it's safe. What if it goes for Sarah?"

"It might not…"

"You can't…"

"Hey! Shut up!" Molly smashed her fist onto the table which made everyone jump. "Sorry but you were getting a bit noisy." She shrugged and left the room. Everyone decided to each discuss whether or not to keep the dog. Carlos, Clementine, Luke and I voted against while Nick, Pete, Rebecca and Alvin voted for. The only person left to vote was Sarah.

"What if we just kept it outside but kept in the shed at night?" Sarah offered. Everyone but Clementine agreed to that. "You don't need to like him Clementine. You don't even need to go near him." Clementine grumbled but reluctantly agreed with the girl. Nick grabbed a can of beans and lured the dog outside.

"So Ben, did Nick bring back my cooler?"

**Well that sure got a bit interesting. Sam did survive the blow to the head. His eye's just droopy and his leg's still sore from being stabbed. He seems to have forgotten the whole thing. Also, Molly's back! I liked her quite a bit in the game and thought 'why not let her return'. I couldn't be fucked coming up with a satisfying reason as to why she happened to come this way. It's a story it doesn't need to make total sense.**


	4. Jumbled Mind

**Well without an internet connection lately I have had nothing to do but grind through some chapters. So Sam may be here to stay albeit outside. Let's just hope he won't be a nuisance.**

**Ben**

I woke up to the fucking dog barking at something. It must still be in the shed and wants to be let out. There was no way I was going to let it out. Someone else could do that. I heard somebody coming down the stairs to let him out.

"Sarah, are you allowed to let him out? You're not usually allowed outside." She stopped at my voice and turned slowly. She slumped her shoulders and sat across from me.

"Please don't tell my dad I went outside? Please?" She put her best puppy dog eyes she could muster. It wasn't going to work on me.

"I won't tell him you went to go outside but if you do, I will have to tell him." She moaned and just fell back onto the couch, crossing her arms. I still felt bad for her. She couldn't do anything. Eventually Alvin grumbled down the stairs.

"Why couldn't you do it Ben? I'm still so tired." He groaned, trudging to the door.

"There is no way in hell I'm going near that dog. Sarah wanted to but…" Alvin went outside and not long later the dog stopped. Finally, no more barking. Sarah grumbled and lay on the couch mumbling something about how unfair this is. "Come on Sarah your dad said…"

"He doesn't know that I know exactly what it's like. He assumes I think they're just sick. But I know they're eating people out there. They're dead and they won't come back." She hopped off of the couch and made her way to the kitchen. Luke was in there and gave her a worried look.

"I'm going to have to tell Carlos now." I sighed but heard something behind me.

"Tell me what Ben?" He thumped his foot on the ground impatiently. I weighed whether or not to actually tell him myself. "Well? What are you waiting for?" I groaned and let him know.

"Your daughter just admitted she knows exactly what's happening. She feels you treat her unfairly. Ask her or Luke they'll probably say the same. Or at least close to what I said." He glared at me unsure whether to believe me. He went off into the kitchen calling Luke's name. Molly and Alvin came in through the front door.

"So Ben, where's Clementine?" Molly casually asked. I shrugged to her. "What do you mean? She's not in her room, she's not in the kitchen, where is she?" I shot up.

"What? You don't know where she is? Are you sure you've searched everywhere? Clementine!" I ran upstairs calling her name. Pete, Rebecca and Nick came out simultaneously.

"What the hell Ben? What are you…?"

"Has anyone seen Clementine anywhere?" Everybody just looked to one another and nobody knew. I ran back downstairs and headed outside. "Clementine! Clem where are you?" I got no response anywhere. I ran around the side of the house hearing a scream from Rebecca.

"I found her!" Rebecca cried. I came round and Rebecca was looking into the hole in the house where we found Sarah. There was a small blood trail leading into it. I looked inside and found her, seriously injured. Her arm's wound had reopened and her head was bleeding. She also had a fresh wound on her leg. I dragged her out and ran inside.

"Carlos! I need you here now!" I held her close to me and sat upon the couch. As Carlos came in I shoved the magazines and shirts off the table and placed her down on it. "Carlos, she has three wounds needing attention."

"Her arm's reopened, her leg is bitten and her head has some serious bruising." He checked the bite first. "Hmm, it's certainly fresh." He cleaned around it and had a better look. "It looks… like her arm bite?" Something inside me snapped that moment. I stomped outside and made my way over to that fucking dog. It panted when I approached but made no sudden movement. I grabbed my knife and stabbed the dog's shoulder. It yelped and fell over, bleeding. I went to stab it over and over again but Nick stopped me.

"Ben, stop this!" Nick pulled me away from the injured dog. I threw my knife at it, missing it completely. "Calm the fuck down man!"

"That fucking dog attacked Clementine again!" At this Nick let me go slowly. I went back to the dog and started to beat it while it tried to crawl away. Nick slowly made his way back to the house, hanging his head in sadness. I did not stop beating the dog even after it stopped moving. "You fucking mutt!"

**Luke**

"Is she going to be alright doc?" I urged. He shook his head slowly. He went back to restitching her arm. He'd already patched her leg and her head had been wrapped in a bandage with an ice pack.

"We won't know if there is any damage to the brain until she wakes up." Her finished up on her arm and sat back exhausted. "How did this happen? The dog was locked up and we heard nothing this morning. I doubt it knocked her out so soon after Alvin came in. Even then Molly was out there the entire night. How…?" He sat back groaning, rubbing his eyes.

"I don't think it was Sam." I said. Carlos nodded in agreement. Ben had been out there beating the dog for about a minute before heading back in and locking himself in the bathroom to get cleaned. Nick had also locked himself away but in his room.

"What are we going to do now? If it wasn't Sam then who? Also, after the initial analysis I found something intriguing. The bite mark circled the entire leg. Almost like a bear trap would." I shrugged and went off into the kitchen. Alvin was soothing Rebecca over what had happened.

"It's ok Becca, Ben is just… angry is all. Luke, what did Carlos say?" Rebecca had let a tear roll down and Alvin looked visibly stressed.

"It may not have been the dog." Rebecca wailed silently. Nobody wanted to see that happen to a dog. "It looks more like a bear trap got her leg. Barely pierced the skin though so her legs generally ok. We don't know if there is any damage to her brain until she wakes up." Alvin moaned while Rebecca sobbed. This morning had turned out pretty shit.

**Later that afternoon**

Carlos and I were still sitting in the living room waiting for Clementine to wake up. Everyone else pretty much did nothing, except Molly and Nick. Once they were told about the possible bear trap they went out looking for signs of it in the forest. Clementine stirred suddenly making Carlos check her over once more quickly.

"D-dad? Is that you?" Carlos sighed and leaned into the girl.

"No Clementine it is Carlos. Luke is also here to greet you." He leant back so she could sit up. When she did she looked back at Carlos.

"Who's Luke?" Carlos and I both dropped our jaws. She'd forgotten me? The man who basically saved her life not that long ago? How could this be?

"Clementine, are you sure you don't remember Luke? How about Sarah, Alvin, Ben or Molly? Any of those sound familiar?" Clementine thought it over a while.

"Well I remember Sarah dad. She's my sister. No other names sound familiar." I ran my hands through my hair. Sarah her sister? Somehow she must have thought of Carlos as her father and Sarah as her sister.

"Clementine, I'm not your father. Sarah is also not your sister." Clementine was very confused at this point.

"Of course you are. Wait? Am I adopted?" She looked rather worried at this point and began to curl into a ball. That was what Sarah used to do.

**Ben**

I could hear people talking rather loudly downstairs. I groaned and made my way to the living room. Once I got there Clementine had her hands on her ears trying to block out the argument.

"Clementine? Guy's why didn't you tell me she's awake?" I hurried down the stairs when Carlos stood in my way. I tried to shove him aside but he stood his ground. "What the hell Carlos?"

"Ben, I'm so sorry. Clementine has forgotten everyone. She thinks I am her father and Sarah her sister. She is visibly confused and I am trying my best to get her memory back. Please just don't freak her out by hugging her she doesn't know you yet." I stepped back slowly. Doesn't remember me? What the fuck is he talking about of course she remembers me.

"Carlos we didn't find any traps. Hey Clementine you're awake." Molly approached her, offering a hug. Clementine leaned away from the hug. "What's the matter kiddo, you liked hugs?" She hopped off the table and stepped away from everyone. "Clementine?"

"Who the hell are all of you? What's going on dad?" Molly cocked her head to the side. She was just as confused as I was.

"Dad? Who is your dad? Lee told me they were most likely dead." Molly looked around the room at everyone. Nobody really wanted to tell her. Carlos sighed and took her off to the side to explain everything.

"I'm so sorry Lee, I failed you." I hung my head in shame and made my way back up the stairs, not even thinking of where I was headed.

"Is Lee ok? I remember him coming to help me find dad." I swivelled around at her words. She remembered Lee? That was a good sign right? Carlos came forth.

"I've heard of this. Certain words or actions can trigger sudden memories. The mere mention of Lee has brought back partial memory. Let's try some more." Carlos sat her down as we went through trying to get her memory back.

**Well she has not only amnesia, but also has a damaged memory of sorts. Believing Carlos is her father and Sarah her sister. If you're wondering, no Sarah is not tough as balls. She is still afraid of things she just knows what's going on.**


	5. Never Again

**Well Clementine has fucking amnesia so that's a problem. I will develop a list of all she remembers for you guys.**

**Current Memory: Carlos, Sarah, Lee, Stranger, Savannah**

**Problem is that she thinks Carlos is her dad and Sarah is her sister. Certain words may trigger memories to flood back into her brain. Until then let's just pray. This is a possible last chapter.**

**Ben**

"I'm sorry Ben I can't seem to get her to remember anything else. I'm trying real hard to get her to believe I'm not her father but…" Carlos rubbed his eyes and groaned. This was hard on everyone. Nothing was working; she didn't believe what we were saying. All of a sudden, Molly bursts through the door and plonks a large metal object down.

"Aha, found it!" She placed her hands on her hips while we all had a look. It was a bear trap, rather small though. Carlos inspected it a little closer. "I found it in an almost straight 60 feet away from the spot we found Clem. There was also this. She pulled a rock from her pocket that looked rather bloodied. Unexpectedly Clementine gasped.

"That rock, that trap, I've seen them before. These men came across me and asked me if there was anyone with me. I said no but they knew I was lying. They grabbed me and shoved my leg into the trap but since it was small it was also weak. It didn't do much. Then a man hit the rock over my head. After a short time I managed to drag myself back to the cabin but then the dog came across me. It dragged me in and licked me before heading back out. Then I heard a scream before I blacked out."

"Holy shit it wasn't the dog that attacked her, he tried to hide her from those men." Nick ran his hand through his hair and I just hung my head in shame. I savagely beat that dog and it wasn't even the culprit. "Fuck me dead that's a real head spinner. To think those guys got so close to finding us. If Clem didn't… fuck." Nick paced back and forth quickly. Luke looked rather agitated by Nick.

"Calm the fuck down Nick. You're scaring people." Luke hissed to Nick. Nick stopped and collapsed into the couch. "Well what do we do now? Those guys might hang around here if they knew Clementine was lying." Alvin stepped forth.

"We may need to leave the cabin." Everyone just looked at the big man. "It was just a suggestion. You know, if we have no other plan."

"So if we can't think of anything we're going out into a world that's more dangerous than this one? What the hell Alvin. Think of Clementine and Sarah." Rebecca scowled her husband. He stepped down and the discussion continued.

"It's fine Bec, don't need to get aggro." Nick smirked. His smirk soon disappeared when Rebecca approached the man. Obviously he realised just who he'd said that to.

"Don't you be telling me what to do Nick. You can't shoot for shit to save someone's life." Nick stood up suddenly. Anger spread rather quickly across the man's face. He put his finger up close to her face.

"You fucking…" Pete stood between the two before things could get any more heated.

"Enough! I can't stand you two argue when we've got to remain calm and quiet. Especially with those men and god knows what else that could catch your voice in the winds. Besides, Sarah's just upstairs and Clement… where's Clementine?" Everyone turned to find Clementine had left. Everyone stayed quiet until we heard her voice upstairs. At that point everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"I best go help Sarah out. She's probably confused as to why Clementine is calling her sister." Carlos hurried upstairs to explain things to Sarah. We all heard the door open and we snapped our attention around. We heard some faint footsteps until Sam dragged himself around the corner. Once again people felt relieved to find it to be just the dog.

"Well I ain't no vet but I can probably help the poor thing." Pete muttered. He lifted the dog, which yelped in pain, and carried it off to the kitchen. Did Pete know anything about helping dogs? Rebecca turned to me at this point.

"Why did you do that to the poor dog? What the fuck were you thinking asshole? You screwed up big time Ben." I felt rage bubble inside of me again. A rage I hadn't felt in so long. A rage not seen since Kenny had gone off at me at the mansion back in Savannah. A rage that felt all consuming. I snapped then and there.

"Ok, I fucking screwed up. Yeah I may have overreacted but evidence pointed to the fucking dog ok? What if you were next huh? What then? What the fuck would you do? Would you just fucking leave it to walk around risking others' lives? Would you endanger your ow fucking child?" Rebecca backed up but I took a step forth. "So I'm fucking sorry I was thinking about keeping everyone else safe. I'm fucking sorry that I care about you enough to beat a dog to death. Ok, I'm fucking sorry! I'm sorry I fucked up again! I'm a fucking screw up! Leave me the fuck alone Kenny!" Rebecca had been slowly backing away at my outburst. Everyone had. I heard a couple of steps behind me. I felt small arms wrap around my waist and hug me gently.

"You're not a screw up Ben. You made a promise and you kept it." I craned my neck and saw it was Clementine hugging me. I crouched to her height and hugged her tightly. She rubbed my back. "You saved me remember? That wasn't a screw up. You risked your life in a freezing river to rescue me. That's not a screw up. You got attacked by a dog to keep me alive and fed. That's not a screw up. You have risked your own life over and over again to prevent screw ups and you've succeeded. You're not a screw up Ben." I let some tears roll down my cheeks. She was right. I hadn't screwed up. I was thinking I was but I wasn't. I had kept my promise to Lee in his dying moments to keep her safe. I had kept my promise to Clementine to never leave her. I had kept my promise to myself. Never again will I screw up that badly.

_Never Again_

**Well that concludes Never Again. If you'd like I could continue onwards. I didn't mind writing this up but if I continue then it will be updated at a slower rate. Until then keep calm and don't screw up.**

**Continue the story**

**Let's just end it here**

**Current priority list:**

**1: Mirror Revenge (TWAU)**

**2: Freddy's Reign (FNAF)**

**3: Goodbye Stranger Danger (TWD)**

**4: Different States Of Rot (SOD)**

**5: Never Again (TWD) {Possibly ending now}**


	6. 2015

**Ok I can finally announce that Never Again will return in early January 2015! See you then!**


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